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Abstract:

Described are systems and methods for automatically adjusting a set of
display settings. At least one image sample is displayed at a first
display according to display settings of the first display.
Electromagnetic radiation generated from the first display is collected.
The electromagnetic radiation includes first image data related to the at
least one image sample at the first display. An image sample is displayed
at a second display according to display settings of the second display.
Electromagnetic radiation generated from the second display is collected.
The electromagnetic radiation includes second image data related to the
image sample at the second display. A margin of error is determined
between the first image data and the second image data. The display
settings of the second display are adjusted to reduce the margin of
error.

Claims:

1. A computer-implemented method for automatically adjusting a set of
display settings, comprising: displaying at least one image sample at a
first display according to display settings of the first display;
collecting electromagnetic radiation generated from the first display,
the electromagnetic radiation including first image data related to the
at least one image sample at the first display; displaying an image
sample at a second display according to display settings of the second
display; collecting electromagnetic radiation generated from the second
display, the electromagnetic radiation including second image data
related to the image sample at the second display; determining a margin
of error between the first image data and the second image data; and
adjusting the display settings of the second display to reduce the margin
of error, wherein a first image corresponding to the first image data is
viewable by a viewer at a screen of the first display and a second image
corresponding to the second image data is viewable by the viewer at a
screen of the second display that is different than the screen of the
first display.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:
comparing the determined margin of error to a predetermined threshold;
and reducing the margin of error in response to a determination that the
margin of error is greater than the predetermined threshold.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein collecting the
electromagnetic radiation generated from the first display and collecting
the electromagnetic radiation generated from the second display are each
repeated until the margin of error is determined to be less than or equal
to the predetermined threshold.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein collecting the
electromagnetic radiation generated from first display comprises: placing
a photosensitive device in communication with the first display;
capturing by the photosensitive device the electromagnetic radiation
including the first image data.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, wherein collecting the
electromagnetic radiation generated from second display comprises:
placing a photosensitive device in communication with the second display;
capturing by the photosensitive device the electromagnetic radiation
including the second image data.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, wherein the first image
data includes perceived characteristics of the at least one image sample
displayed at the first display that is captured by the photosensitive
device.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, further comprising
displaying a graphical image at the second display according to the
adjusted display settings of the second display, the graphical image
displayed according to the perceived characteristics of the at least one
image sample.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising storing
the first image data at a storage device.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the
electromagnetic radiation includes image light properties, and wherein at
least one of the first image data and the second image data is determined
from the image light properties.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein determining a
margin of error includes calculating a mathematical distance between the
first image data and the second image data.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein determining the
margin of error between the first image data and the second image data
includes: determining a function of correlation between the first image
data and the second image data; determining a maximum of the function of
correlation by varying first parameter values corresponding to the
display settings of the second display; obtaining a set of vectors
representing a maximum correlation value for each of the at least one
image sample at the first display and the at least one image sample at
the second display; and determining a final vector as a standard
deviation of the set of vectors, wherein the components of the final
vector include second parameter values corresponding to the display
settings of the second display.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein the second
parameter values are applied to the second display for adjusting the
display settings of the second display.

13. A computer-implemented method for sharing customized display settings
between different displays, comprising: displaying a first image sample
on a reference display device, the reference display device configured
according to a set of reference display settings; recording image
properties related to the displayed first image sample on the reference
display device; displaying the first image sample on a target display
device, the target display device configured according to a set of target
display settings; recording image properties related to the displayed
first image sample on the target display device; calculating a margin of
error between the image properties related to the displayed first image
samples on the reference and target display devices, respectively; and
reducing the margin of error by automatically changing the target display
settings of the target display device, wherein a first image
corresponding to the first image sample on the reference display device
is viewable by a viewer at a screen of the reference display device and a
second image corresponding to the first image sample on the target
display device is viewable by the viewer at a screen of the target
display device that is different than the screen of the reference display
device.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 13, further comprising:
comparing the calculated margin of error to a predetermined threshold;
and reducing the margin of error in response to a determination that the
margin of error is greater than the predetermined threshold.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 14, wherein recording the
image properties related to the first image sample on at least one of the
reference display device and the target display device comprises:
positioning a photosensitive device in proximity to the at least one of
the reference display device and the target display device; and
collecting electromagnetic radiation generated from the least one of the
reference display device and the target display device.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 13, wherein the
electromagnetic radiation includes image light properties, and wherein
the image properties related to the displayed first image sample are
determined from the image light properties.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 13, further comprising
storing the image properties at a storage device.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 13, wherein determining a
margin of error includes calculating a mathematical distance between the
image properties related to the displayed first image samples on the
reference and target display devices, respectively.

19. The computer-implemented method of claim 13, wherein determining the
margin of error between the first image data and the second image data
includes: determining a function of correlation between the image
properties related to the displayed first image samples on the reference
display device and the image properties related to the displayed first
image samples on the target display device; determining a maximum of the
function of correlation by varying first parameter values corresponding
to the display settings of the target display device; obtaining a set of
vectors representing a maximum correlation value for each of the first
image sample at the reference display device and the first image sample
at the target display device; and determining a final vector as a
standard deviation of the set of vectors, wherein the components of the
final vector include second parameter values corresponding to the display
settings of the target display device.

20. The computer-implemented method of claim 13, wherein the second
parameter values are applied to the target display device for adjusting
the display settings of the target display device.

Description:

RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application is a continuation application claiming the benefit
of the filing date of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/324,362, filed
Dec. 13, 2011, entitled "System and Method for Automatically Adjusting
Electronic Display Settings," contents of which are incorporated by
reference herein in their entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The present invention relates generally to image displays, and more
specifically, to a system and method for replicating image display
settings customized according to user perceptions with respect to viewing
a display and for modifying display settings of other image devices
according to the replicated image display settings.

BACKGROUND

[0003] Many electronic devices include computer monitors, touchscreens,
viewers, high definition television (HDTV) screens, liquid crystal
displays (LCD) and the like for displaying information processed by the
device, for example, pictures, videos, web pages, and other
graphic-related data. Electronic device users often personalize the
settings of the display according to personal preferences or
requirements. For example, one user may adjust a display's settings to
accommodate an eye-related deficiency such as far-sighted vision, while
another user may require a display to be adjusted to accommodate issues
related to photosensitivity.

[0004] Modern electronic device users also tend to have access to
different displays, for example, a television display, a touchscreen, and
a computer monitor. Each display includes screen settings, such as
brightness, contrast, and so on, which can be adjusted according to the
user's personal requirements or preferences. Differences in monitor size,
brands, materials used, and so on can result in the same image being
displayed differently, even if the settings are the same at each display.
A user's perception of a displayed image may not align with the actual
display settings, requiring manual adjustments to the settings to achieve
a desired displayed image.

BRIEF SUMMARY

[0005] In one aspect, a method is provided for automatically adjusting a
set of display settings. The method comprises displaying at least one
image sample at a first display according to display settings of the
first display; collecting electromagnetic radiation generated from the
first display, the electromagnetic radiation including first image data
related to the at least one image sample at the first display; displaying
an image sample at a second display according to display settings of the
second display; collecting electromagnetic radiation generated from the
second display, the electromagnetic radiation including second image data
related to the image sample at the second display; determining a margin
of error between the first image data and the second image data; and
adjusting the display settings of the second display to reduce the margin
of error.

[0006] In another aspect, a method is provided for sharing customized
display settings between different displays. The method comprises
displaying a first image sample on a reference display device, the
reference display device configured according to a set of reference
display settings; recording image properties related to the displayed
first image sample on the reference display device; displaying the first
image sample on a target display device, the target display device
configured according to a set of target display settings; recording image
properties related to the displayed first image sample on the target
display device; calculating a margin of error between the image
properties related to the displayed first image samples on the reference
and target display devices, respectively; and reducing the margin of
error by automatically changing the target display settings of the target
display device.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

[0007] The above and further advantages of this invention may be better
understood by referring to the following description in conjunction with
the accompanying drawings, in which like numerals indicate like
structural elements and features in various figures. The drawings are not
necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating the
principles of the invention.

[0008] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a display setting adjustment system in
communication with a reference electronic device display, according to an
embodiment of the present inventive concepts.

[0009] FIG. 2 is a method for acquiring display setting data, according to
an embodiment of the present inventive concepts.

[0010] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a set of sample images presented
at a display, according to an embodiment of the present inventive
concepts.

[0011] FIG. 4 is a block diagram of the display setting adjustment system
of FIG. 1 in communication with a target electronic device display,
according to an embodiment of the present inventive concepts.

[0012] FIG. 5 is a method for adjusting display settings of a target
display device, according to an embodiment of the present inventive
concepts.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0013] In the following description, specific details are set forth
although it should be appreciated by one of ordinary skill that the
systems and methods can be practiced without at least some of the
details. In some instances, known features or processes are not described
in detail so as not to obscure the present invention.

[0014] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a display setting adjustment system 10
in communication with an electronic device display 12, according to an
aspect of the present inventive concepts.

[0015] The display 12, also referred to as a first display, a source
display, or a reference display, can include a monitor, a touchscreen, a
camera window, or other electronic device having a screen for displaying
text, graphics, or other electronic data. A photosensitive panel 22 can
be positioned over the display 12 for capturing image light properties,
as shown at flow arrow (1). Although a photosensitive panel 22 is shown,
any photosensitive device can equally apply, including a camera or other
device having photosensitive elements, sensors, and so on, for capturing
optical information from a display and recording it on a film, storage
device, and the like. The photosensitive panel 22 can include light
sensing elements that are integrated with the display screen, for
example, with plasma displays, touchscreens, and related displays.

[0016] The display setting adjustment system 10 includes an image data
processing module that receives image data determined from the light
properties captured by the photosensitive panel 22, as shown at flow
arrow (2) of FIG. 1. The image data can include characteristics of one or
more image samples displayed at the first display captured by the
photosensitive panel 22.

[0017] The image data related to each image presented at the display 12
and captured at the photosensitive panel 22 can be output to the display
setting adjustment system 10. The image data can be stored as a file or
related format at a storage device 14 such as a computer memory or other
computer-readable medium as shown at flow arrow (3). The recorded data
can be used to modify the display settings at one or more other
electronic device displays.

[0018] The display setting adjustment system 10, the display 12, and the
storage device 14 can communicate with each other via a network (not
shown). The network can be a local area network (LAN), a wide area
network (WAN), or other communications network for transmitting
electronic data.

[0019] FIG. 2 is a method 200 for acquiring display setting data, in
accordance with an embodiment. In describing the method 700, reference is
also made to FIG. 1. Some or all of the method 200 can be performed at
the display setting adjustment system 10 of FIG. 1. The method 200 can be
governed by instructions that are stored in a memory of the display
setting adjustment system 10, the storage device 14, or a combination
thereof, and executed by a processor of the display setting adjustment
system 10.

[0020] At operation 202, an image, for example, Sample 1 shown in FIG. 3,
is displayed at a first display screen 12. The display screen 12 can be a
monitor, a touchscreen, or other electronic device display. The image is
displayed according to particular display settings associated with the
first display screen, for example, brightness, contrast, color
temperature, and so on.

[0021] At operation 204, data related to the displayed image can be
captured, for example, using a photosensitive panel 22 or other
photosensitive device positioned at the display screen 12 over the
displayed image. The photosensitive panel 22 can include light sensing
elements that are integrated with the display screen 12, for example,
with plasma displays, touchscreens, and related displays. The
photosensitive panel 22 can capture light or other radiation generated
from the displayed image, and convert the light into data, which can be
stored. In doing so, the captured image data can include optical
properties of the displayed image, for example, properties related to
screen brightness, contrast, color temperature, and so on.

[0022] At operation 206, the image data is stored in a file, for example,
as source code derived from the light captured by the photosensitive
panel 22. The stored data can include all electromagnetic radiation data
emitted from the display screen 12 for each displayed image.

[0023] At decision diamond 208, a determination is made whether there are
additional sample images, for example, Sample 2, Sample 3, Sample 4 shown
in FIG. 3. If the determination is established at decision diamond 208
that another image is displayed, then operation 202 is performed on the
additional images. Otherwise, the method 200 is completed.

[0024] FIG. 4 is a block diagram of the display setting adjustment system
10 of FIG. 1 in communication with a target electronic device display 32,
according to an aspect of the present inventive concepts. The flow arrows
described in FIG. 1 can be applied before the flow arrows of FIG. 4, and
will therefore not be repeated for the sake of brevity. The target
display 32, like the display setting adjustment system 10, the source
display 12, and the storage device 14, can be connected to a network (not
shown), for example, a local area network (LAN), a wide area network
(WAN), or other communications network for transmitting electronic data.

[0025] The target display 32, also referred to as a second display 32, can
be a monitor, touchscreen, a camera window, or other electronic device
having a screen for displaying text, graphics, or other electronic data.
A photosensitive panel 42 can be positioned over the target display 32
for capturing electromagnetic radiation generated from the target display
32, as shown at flow arrow (1), in a manner similar to that described
with reference to flow arrow (1) of FIG. 1. Details regarding the
photosensitive panel 42 are therefore omitted for the sake of brevity.
The sample image presented at the target display 32 is the same or
similar to the sample image displayed at the display 12, for example,
shown in FIG. 3.

[0026] The sample image data captured by the photosensitive panel 42 is
output to the display setting adjustment system 10 as shown at flow arrow
(2). The display setting adjustment system 10 also receives the stored
sample image data captured by the photosensitive panel 22 from the
storage device 14, as shown at flow arrow (3).

[0027] The display setting adjustment system 10 includes an error
determining module that determines a margin of error between the image
data collected from the display screens 12 and 32, respectively, and
includes a display modification module that reduces the margin of error
between the image data corresponding to the image sample generated at the
first display 12 and the image data corresponding to the image sample
generated at the second display 32 by automatically changing the display
settings of the target display 32. The target display settings can be
adjusted according to an optimal match between the input data and the new
data coming from the panel over the target display, shown at flow arrow
(4).

[0028] FIG. 5 is a method 400 for adjusting display settings of a target
display device, in accordance with an embodiment. Some or all of the
method 400 can be performed at the display setting adjustment system 10
of FIGS. 1 and 4. The method 400 can be governed by instructions that are
stored in a memory device of the display setting adjustment system 10,
the storage device 14, or a combination thereof, and that are executed by
a processor of the display setting adjustment system 10.

[0029] At operation 402, an image, for example, a sample image shown in
FIG. 3, is displayed at a target display screen, for example, a monitor,
touchscreen, or other electronic device display. The image is preferably
displayed according to particular display settings associated with the
first display screen. The image is displayed according to display
settings such as screen resolution, DPI, color temperature, and so on,
which are customized according to a user's personal preference. The
sample images shown on the display 12 can likewise be presented at one or
more other target displays, and a photosensitive panel can be placed over
the target display to retrieve image data used to create a desirable
match according to a user's perception of the displayed image.

[0030] At operation 404, a photosensitive panel is positioned at a target
display screen. The photosensitive panel can include light sensing
elements that are integrated with the display screen, for example, with
plasma displays, touchscreens, and related displays.

[0031] At operation 406, image data is read from the photosensitive panel
42 of the target display 32. In particular, the photosensitive panel
captures light or other radiation generated from the displayed image,
which includes the image data.

[0032] At operation 408, stored image data corresponding to the image
displayed at the source display 12 is read from the storage device 14.
The stored image data can be acquired according to the method 200
described herein.

[0033] At operation 410, a margin of error is computed between the stored
image data and the target image data. This can be achieved by calculating
the distance between the stored image data read according to operation
408 and the image data read according to operation 406. The distance can
be a monotone increasing function greater than or equal to 0, and can be
determined according to mathematical techniques known to those of
ordinary skill in the art used to determine a distance between
two-dimensional objects such as images.

[0034] At decision diamond 412, the computed margin of error is compared
to a predetermined threshold. If a determination is made at decision
diamond 412 that the margin of error is less than the predetermined
threshold, then the margin of error is determined to be acceptable. The
threshold can be determined according to well-known techniques, depending
on whether the user requires an accurate calibration, a required time
period to perform the calibration, and so on.

[0035] If a determination is made at decision diamond 412 that the margin
of error is less than the predetermined threshold, then the margin of
error is deemed unacceptable, and at operation block 418, a new set of
parameters is calculated, which are used to adjust the settings of the
target display. The calculation of the new set of parameters therefore
takes into account the feedback loop minimizing the margin of error
computed between the stored image data and the target image data.
Accordingly, the method 400 proceeds to operation 402, where the image is
displayed at the target display according to the new parameters. A
feedback loop permits the target display image to be automatically
adjusted to be the same as or similar to the source display image having
a reduced or minimized error between the two images. The operations in
the method 400 can be performed until the margin of error is reduced to a
0 value. Alternatively, the display setting adjustment system can include
a timer that is configured with a predetermined time during which the
operations are to be completed. At the end of the predetermined time, the
target display settings can be configured in accordance with the
parameters generated in view of the margin of error.

[0036] Parameter values applied to the target display for adjusting the
display settings to reduce a margin of error between two images can be
determined as follows.

[0037] S (S1, S2, S3, . . . ) is a set of sampled images saved as source.
X1, X2, . . . , Xn represents a set of monitor parameters to be adjusted
at the target display. C(a, b) is the function of correlation between an
image displayed at the source display, referred to as image A, and an
image displayed at the target display, referred to as image B. Image A
can refer to a stored image corresponding to the source display 12
described at operation 408. Image B can refer to the image displayed at
the target display 32 described at operation 406. Digital image
correlation (DIC) or related correlation techniques can be applied to
determine changes between images A and B.

[0038] For each element (Si), where i is an integer, in the set of sampled
images, B(X1, X2, . . . , Xn) can be calculated as the image projected by
the target display 32. Accordingly, target display image B is calculated
as being the image projected by the target display 32 using X1, X2, . . .
, Xn parameter values. Each parameter value can correspond to a
characteristic of the sample image as displayed, for example, color
temperature, brightness, and so on.

[0041] A final vector V(V1, V2, . . . , Vn) can be calculated as the
standard deviation of the set of vectors (M1, M2, . . . , Mn). The
components of the final vector V can be the parameters used to configure
the target display settings. For example, any and all relevant parameters
corresponding to color temperature, brightness, and so on can be obtained
and can contribute to the final vector V.

[0042] Accordingly, the systems and methods described above are performed
automatically and at a high degree of precision as distinguished from the
conventional approach of manually adjusting display settings. Further,
the system and method for automatically adjusting display settings can be
based on a user's perception of a displayed image to overcome differences
in display characteristics resulting from different brands, lighting
characteristics, and so on. Instead of exporting display settings based
on absolute parameters, the user's perception of an image can be obtained
at the reference, and applied to other displays using the recorded
"perceived image" as a reference, which takes into consideration both
environmental factors and subjective perception. Accordingly, a displayed
graphic, icon, digital photograph, background field, and the like on one
computer display can be displayed to a user by automatically adjusting
the display parameters according to what the user sees with respect to
color, etc. on another display.

[0043] As will be appreciated by one skilled in the art, aspects of the
present invention may be embodied as a system, method or computer program
product. Accordingly, aspects of the present invention may take the form
of an entirely hardware embodiment, an entirely software embodiment
(including firmware, resident software, micro-code, etc.) or an
embodiment combining software and hardware aspects that may all generally
be referred to herein as a "circuit," "module" or "system." Furthermore,
aspects of the present invention may take the form of a computer program
product embodied in one or more computer readable medium(s) having
computer readable program code embodied thereon.

[0044] Any combination of one or more computer readable medium(s) may be
utilized. The computer readable medium may be a computer readable signal
medium or a computer readable storage medium. A computer readable storage
medium may be, for example, but not limited to, an electronic, magnetic,
optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, apparatus,
or device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. More specific
examples (a non-exhaustive list) of the computer readable storage medium
would include the following: an electrical connection having one or more
wires, a portable computer diskette, a hard disk, a random access memory
(RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only
memory (EPROM or Flash memory), an optical fiber, a portable compact disc
read-only memory (CD-ROM), an optical storage device, a magnetic storage
device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. In the context of
this document, a computer readable storage medium may be any tangible
medium that can contain, or store a program for use by or in connection
with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device.

[0045] A computer readable signal medium may include a propagated data
signal with computer readable program code embodied therein, for example,
in baseband or as part of a carrier wave. Such a propagated signal may
take any of a variety of forms, including, but not limited to,
electro-magnetic, optical, or any suitable combination thereof. A
computer readable signal medium may be any computer readable medium that
is not a computer readable storage medium and that can communicate,
propagate, or transport a program for use by or in connection with an
instruction execution system, apparatus, or device. Program code embodied
on a computer readable medium may be transmitted using any appropriate
medium, including but not limited to wireless, wireline, optical fiber
cable, RF, etc., or any suitable combination of the foregoing.

[0046] Computer program code for carrying out operations for aspects of
the present invention may be written in any combination of one or more
programming languages, including an object oriented programming language
such as Java, Smalltalk, C++ or the like and conventional procedural
programming languages, such as the "C" programming language or similar
programming languages. The program code may execute entirely on the
user's computer, partly on the user's computer, as a stand-alone software
package, partly on the user's computer and partly on a remote computer or
entirely on the remote computer or server. In the latter scenario, the
remote computer may be connected to the user's computer through any type
of network, including a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network
(WAN), or the connection may be made to an external computer (for
example, through the Internet using an Internet Service Provider).

[0047] Aspects of the present invention are described below with reference
to flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams of methods, apparatus
(systems) and computer program products according to embodiments of the
invention. It will be understood that each block of the flowchart
illustrations and/or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the
flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams, can be implemented by
computer program instructions. These computer program instructions may be
provided to a processor of a general purpose computer, special purpose
computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a
machine, such that the instructions, which execute via the processor of
the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus, create
means for implementing the functions/acts specified in the flowchart
and/or block diagram block or blocks.

[0048] These computer program instructions may also be stored in a
computer readable medium that can direct a computer, other programmable
data processing apparatus, or other devices to function in a particular
manner, such that the instructions stored in the computer readable medium
produce an article of manufacture including instructions which implement
the function/act specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block or
blocks. The computer program instructions may also be loaded onto a
computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other devices
to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer,
other programmable apparatus or other devices to produce a computer
implemented process such that the instructions which execute on the
computer or other programmable apparatus provide processes for
implementing the functions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or block
diagram block or blocks.

[0049] The flowchart and block diagrams in the figures illustrate the
architecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementations of
systems, methods and computer program products according to various
embodiments of the present invention. In this regard, each block in the
flowchart or block diagrams may represent a module, segment, or portion
of code, which comprises one or more executable instructions for
implementing the specified logical function(s). It should also be noted
that, in some alternative implementations, the functions noted in the
block may occur out of the order noted in the figures. For example, two
blocks shown in succession may, in fact, be executed substantially
concurrently, or the blocks may sometimes be executed in the reverse
order, depending upon the functionality involved. It will also be noted
that each block of the block diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, and
combinations of blocks in the block diagrams and/or flowchart
illustration, can be implemented by special purpose hardware-based
systems that perform the specified functions or acts, or combinations of
special purpose hardware and computer instructions.

[0050] While the invention has been shown and described with reference to
specific embodiments, it should be understood by those skilled in the art
that various changes in form and detail may be made therein without
departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.